Lifting sling



F. K. FILDES LIFTING SLING July 7, 1936.

Filed Feb. 6, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR- Fredaruk K Fzldcs, BY

W1 TNESSES:

A TORNEYS.

July 7, 1936. F. K. FILDES 2,047,141

LIFTING SLING Filed Feb. 6, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 g FIG- I- l 15 W] TN ESSES I N V EN TOR:

Fredarick Kfildas. jg $560M BY W I j M mm.-

July 7, 1936. F. K. FILDES 2,047,141

LIFTING SLING Filed Feb. 6, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG- Y 1 o r I IV] TNESSES: INVENTOR:

354 5a fmdarick Kfildas 10L 217d BY M 7 3,9 55 5a A TORNEYS.

Patented July 7, 1936 PATENT OFFIQE.

LIFTING SLING Frederick K. Fildes, Altoona, Pa., assignor to The Pennsylvania Railroad Company, Philadelphia,

Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application February 6, 1936, Serial No. 62,567

9 Claims.

My invention relates to lifting slings used in moving demountable truck bodies and shipping containers. Many lifting slings have been proposed for moving shipping containers 'but the problem of efficiently coupling the sling to the container without a mans riding the sling or climbing up on to the container top remained Without satisfactory solution. The riding of the sling is dangerous to the workman and the weight of a man on the top of many containers and truck bodies will seriously damage them. Further the provision of a sling of this type which may be adapted to containers having inwardly turned. hooks is another desideratum.

Consequently the principal object of my invention is the provision of a serviceable lifting sling which may be coupled and uncoupled without the presence of a workman on the sling or on the container and which may be adapted for use with a container having inwardly turned hooks. Another object is the provision of a lifting sling which guides itself into the coupling position as it is lowered over a container or truck body. Another object of myinvention is a simple, rugged and efficiently operating lifting sling without complicated structural features. Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, referring to the accompanying drawings. 7

Of these drawings,

Fig. I shows a side view of a lifting sling which is a preferred embodiment of my invention.

Fig. II shows an end view of same.

Fig. III shows a plan view of same.

Fig. IV shows a side view of this lifting sling showing its operation in coupling and uncoupling.

Fig. V is a fragmentary plan view of a modified form of my invention.

Fig. VI is a side view of same, and

Fig. VII is a fragmentary end view of a corner of same.

For the purposes of a detailed description the lifting sling shown in the drawings may be separated into a suspension frame I shown conventionally in broken lines only, a frame 2, engagement rods 3, having arms 4, hooks 5, retaining elements 6, solenoids l, and supporting legs 8. The lifting sling is shown with container 12 having container hooks 13. The suspension frame I to which the frame 2 is fastened is fully described in United States patent to Fildes issued July 31, 1934, No. 1,968,135 and need not be further described here.

The frame 2 is rectangular in shape and is made up of longitudinal members l5, transverse members It and diagonal bracing members ll. The construction must be rugged and durable because of the weights to be lifted. The longitudinal members 15 are held in spaced parallel 5 relation by the interposition of the supporting legs 8 which are designed to engage the top of the container hook l3. The supporting legs 8 have at their lower extremities extension pieces 29 which are inclined downwardlyand inwardly 10 to provide positioning guides.

The arms 4 of the engagement rods 3 are pivotally attached to the central portions of the longitudinal members l5. These engagement rods 3 operate on guiding surfaces 26 of the hooks l3 l5" and are thereby guided into engagement with the hooks H as shown in the drawings. The arms 4 and engagement rods 3 are braced together by diagonal braces 21 to give greater rigidity. It is important that the arms 4 in their extreme down position (see Fig. I) be at sufficiently great an angle with the vertical that the arms 4 will swing 7 up easily on contacting the container l2 as the lifting sling is lowered over the container l2. Therefore retaining elements 6 are provided in the form of chains connecting the rods3 to the frame 2, the length of chain being such that a substantial angle of the arms 4 from the vertical is insured in the extreme down position.

The hooks 5 are pivotally attached to the longitudinal members l5 near the corners of the'frame 2 and they are turned outwardly as shown in the drawings. The hooks 5 are normally held in the up position, as represented in Figs. I and IV, by means of springs 35. In order to swing the hooks 35 5 into engagement with the engagement rod 3, there is provided on the hook 5 an operating arm 28 which is actuated by a solenoid I having a plunger 29 which is pivotally connected to the operating arm 28. The solenoids l are mounted on the frame 2, one at each corner for each hook 5. When the solenoids are energized, the plungers 29 are lifted, and when de-energized, the plungers fall by gravity.

In the operation of the lifting sling, the springs normally maintain the hooks 5 in the up position. The arms 4 being in the extreme down position, the lifting sling is lowered over the conguide the operating rods 3 into engagement with the hooks I3, at which time the supporting legs 8 seat on the hooks [3. The solenoids l are then energized and each hook 5 is swung outwardly so that the bights of the hooks are underneath the engagement rods 3 ready to engage as soon as the lifting sling is lifted. As the lifting sling is lifted, the hooks 5 engage the engagement rods 3 and the container is ready for movement. At this point the solenoids 1 may be de-energized. In depositing the container for uncoupling, the lifting sling is lowered until the supporting legs 8 rest on the hooks l3. The hooks 5 are then disengaged from the engagement rods 3 and are swung in and up by the operation of the springs 35. The lifting sling is lifted, causing the arms 4 to swing down and the engagement rods to move inwardly and clear of the hooks l3 until the arms 4 are supported by the retaining .elements 6. The lifting sling is then lifted clear of the container l2 and the operation is completed.

A modified form of my invention shown in Figs. V, VI, and VII, involves springs 35a, disposed above the frame 2 and attached to anchoring elements 36, for urging pivoted hooks 5a to the disengaged position. Also the hooks 5a turn inward instead of outward as in the preferred embodiment. The hooks 511 do not engage the engagement rod 3a directly as in the preferred embodiment, but by means of an engagement eye 31 which is fastened to the engagement rod 3a. It should be noted also that in the modified form, arms 4a are not secured to the central portion of longitudinal member I5a. The operation of this modified form of my invention is the same as the operation of the preferred form. The modified form of my invention is also provided with guide plates 38 each of which is secured to a brace 21a, and one of the engagement rods 3a. The outside edges of these guide plates 38 are turned up to form guide faces 39 which are designed to contact the container hooks l3 and thus assist in positioning the lifting sling for the engagement of hooks 5a in eyes 31.

While I have described a preferred and modified form of my invention in detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many changes may be made and other forms adopted without departing from the spirit of my invention as defined in the annexed claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A lifting sling having a frame, engagement rods for engaging container hooks or the like, said rods having arms pivotally attached to the frame, hooks pivotally attached to the frame to engage said rods, and retaining elements limiting the downward swing of said arms.

2. A lifting sling according to claim 1 characterized by the further fact that said engagement rods are pivotally attached at the central portion of the longitudinal members of the frame.

3. A lifting sling according to claim 1 characterized by the further fact that said hooks have an operating means.

4. A lifting sling according to claim 1 characterized by the further fact that said hooks have an electrical operating means for swinging the hooks into the engagement position with said engagement rods.

5. A lifting sling according to claim 1 characterized by the further fact that each hook has an independent solenoid for swinging the hook into the engagement position with the engagement rod.

6. A lifting sling according to claim 1 characterized by the further fact that the lifting sling has a pressure means urging the hooks to one position and an operating means for urging the hooks to the opposite position.

7. A lifting sling according to claim 1 characterized by the further fact that the lifting sling has a pressure means urging the hooks to the disengaged position and an operating means for overcoming the pressure means and urging the hooks into the engagement position with the engagement rods.

8. A lifting sling according to claim 1 characterized by the further fact that the frame has supporting legs for engaging the top of the container, guiding elements with vertically extending guide surfaces attached to the lower portions of said legs, and guide plates with horizontally extending guide surfaces attached to said frame.

9. The combination of a container having inwardly turned hooks with guide surfaces leading into the hooks and a lifting sling having a frame, engagement rods for engaging said hooks, said rods having arms pivotally attached to the frame, and hooks pivotally attached to the frame to engage said rods, said engagement rods operating on said guide surfaces in coupling and uncoupling.

FREDERICK K. FILDES. 

